


Hold my hand and never let me go

by Waterproofbabyvamp



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Boys Kissing, Fluff, M/M, Online Romance, Sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-11
Updated: 2016-08-11
Packaged: 2018-08-08 03:45:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,334
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7742101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Waterproofbabyvamp/pseuds/Waterproofbabyvamp
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>louis lives in manchester still with his mum, Harry moved to LA to pursue a music career; they meet online, become good friends and eventually fall in love; they're meeting for the first time really soon and they're both freaking out a bit.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hold my hand and never let me go

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sky_reid](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sky_reid/gifts).



> I had a lot of trouble with this little fic, I restarted writting about 5 times. But still I think it came out okay.  
> I hope you like it.

Harry stepped off stage, his hair sweaty and sticking to his neck. He had just finished a rather big performance and he was really happy about it. He had performed one of his own songs and some of the people actually sang with him. They knew the words and were singing with him.

_Louis_

He had to tell Louis.

He wondered if he’d even be awake. But he really didn’t care; he wanted to tell Louis he just finished his first festival. Even if it was in the middle of the afternoon when most of the people were still in their tents wasted. Harry had just played his first ever festival and was the choice of the people.

He had entered a competition that let them upload a song and through that song, the visitors could choose if they wanted that artist to be there. They sent in Nameless Gem. The chorus being played of all the songs that were chosen for the competition. Harry’s song was the one they chose. He still didn’t believe it. He felt for his phone as he walked to the little dressing area they’d been given to warm up. He and his band had been stressing there for about an hour before they were allowed to go and perform.

_“How did it go?”_

Of course Louis already asked. He smiled at his screen.

_“Great Lou, wish you could have seen it.”_

_“Me too.”_

Harry glanced at the time: 4:07.

_“Maybe someday.”_

It must be late in the UK right now, 00:07 to be exact and Harry knew for a fact that Louis normally doesn’t stay up this late.

_“Why are you still awake? Isn’t it like midnight?”_

_“I don’t know, just felt like talking to you. It’s not like I’ll die from going to bed a little late.”_

_“What do you want to talk about?”_

_“Tell me something good.”_

_“People sang along with me today.”_

_“Oh god did they really! What song?”_

_“Nameless Gem.”_

It’s an upbeat song he once wrote for a girl but it turned out to be something so much better, it’s the song they sent in to win the poll.

_“Really? I love that song.”_

Harry had sent his songs to Louis when they started talking to each other a few months ago when Louis had reacted to one of his Instagram pictures. Harry had replied and they never stopped talking.

_“I know.”_

Harry clicked his phone off, pocketed it and followed his bandmates to the dressing room.

“John!” Remus called pointing dramatically at Harry. “Look at that, Harry is here! I thought we’d never see him again. His mysterious Louis luring him away from us.”

John started laughing at Remus’s commentary. Harry grinned and just rolled his eyes.

Remus’s eyes shone with naughtiness and laughed about as loud as John was.

“Oh come on guys.” Harry said and jumped in Remus’s arms. He was his best friend since he arrived here. He had been here for 5 days and was already feeling homesick. So when he heard an English accent one night in a bar, he got so excited that he spilled his beer all over the guy.

“I’m so sorry but you have no idea how happy I am to finally hear that accent again!” Harry shouted over the music. “I’m Harry!”

The man was still shaking off the beer that had landed on his shirt and arm dripping down to his hand. “Remus.” He said and smiled at Harry.

He had thick dark brown hair, as good as black, but that would be too hard a description for the warmth that was in the long strands. He looked like an extremely good looking version of Sirius Black and that was rather funny to Harry having him being called Remus.

But now hugging him 6 months after meeting and forming a band, he was happy that he’d met him. John too, of course. He had been so mad with his former band that he literally walked off stage and offered Remus and Harry his drumming abilities, having overhead that they were looking for someone.

They need a lot of practice but it all fell into place.

Just like meeting Louis had been one of those things. He had spent just as much time with John and Remus as he had with Louis, even if they had never met in real life. Louis had been a fun person to talk to in the beginning. He was there when Harry posted a new picture on Instagram, which he never failed to do when Harry was looking forward to seeing whatever Louis had to say, to when they started talking via chat and Facebook.

He told Louis about leaving home to come and try and be successful in music here in LA. Louis talked about helping his mother with house work and taking care of his baby brother and sister. The older ones complained about everything. His mother only wanted the best for her son and was making him finish school, which he never thought he could do until he actually did it. Louis actually called Harry the moment he found out, waking Harry at an ungodly hour, but he didn’t care. Harry was happy for Louis and they spent almost 2 hours talking about all that they could come up with until Harry’s morning alarm went off and alerted him that he had been talking for a long time.

They both were reluctant to say goodbye, but they did in the end. This time though, they stopped chatting over internet and began calling whenever possible.

So when Harry was squashed between John and Remus, it wasn’t a surprise to any of them that Harry’s phone started ringing.

“Oh, that’s the Louis ringtone,” John said, letting go of Harry.

“Better let him take that or he’ll look like a kicked puppy.” Remus added.

Harry rolled his eyes again but fished his phone out of his pocket and answered Louis’s phone call.

“Hiya Lou.” Harry said, sitting down in the leather couch that was in their dressing room.

“Hi Harry,” Louis said a little quietly, “I’ve got to tell you something.”

Harry frowned, not knowing what would come.

“I’m coming to LA.”

What?

Louis is coming here?

“Are you really?” was all Harry could muster.

“Yes, I am” Louis said sighing in to the phone “Mum said that she was so proud with me that I finished school and got good marks too that she wanted to give me something. And you know I do talk about you and she knows we’ve been talking about one of us trying to visit, so she gave me plane tickets this morning and that’s it. I’m coming to you, Haz.”

Harry was speechless and didn’t know what to say, but he was happy. He and Louis would finally meet each other in real life.

“And maybe you could come and live with me for the time you’re here,” He said a little shocked, but coming around. “You could come and watch my shows and we could go to the beach together.”

Harry was gaining speed while talking and thinking about all they could do.

“Yes,” Louis said “As long as you don’t mind having me.”

“No!” Harry said, a little outraged “I don’t want you to have to stay in a hotel or something. You’re welcome here. Please come and live with me for however long you’re staying.”

“I’d love to live with you,” Louis said smiling into the phone.

“Great,” Harry answered.

*

Louis said he would land around 5:30 in LAX. Harry had been a ball of nerves the entire day. Louis had sent him a text when his plane left, saying:

_“See you in 15 hours. X”_

It had woken Harry up and he hadn’t gone back to sleep. Harry was happy Remus was still there and came to visit him and tried to keep his mind occupied with anything that wasn’t Louis or waiting for Louis.

Harry had readied an entire room he didn’t really use so Louis could come in and feel completely at home. Harry knew from own experience that jetlag was a real pain and he didn’t expect Louis to be any less affected by it.

He had told Louis that it would be best to stay awake as long as possible and go to bed at a normal hour. When he had first moved to Los Angeles, Harry had gone straight to his hotel that he rented for a week or so before renting an apartment that he liked. He felt the effects of it for a week, being up and going to bed extremely early.

“It’ll be fine Haz,” Remus said looking at him from across the bed they just made. It wasn’t really a bed, but a mattress on top of another mattress.

“I know,” Harry said, sighing. “I just want him to have a good time. I want him to be happy to be here and not regret his savings being used for this.”

Remus looked at him, “Haz, you two talk every minute of every day. Come on, be a little positive.”

Harry sighed again and looked at the perfectly made bed, “I just really like him.”

“I know Haz, and I’m sure he likes you too. Just wait and see. It’ll be magical.”

Harry nodded and smiled, “Of course it’ll be. It’ll be perfect.”

Remus eventually left for his own home, his pregnant girlfriend waiting for him. Even if Harry didn’t like to admit it, he loved seeing them being a family and watching Emma’s belly grow over time. They were so cute together.

When he left for the airport, he was nervous and chewing all the gum he had left in the packet he bought last week, adding more every few minutes. His jaw started hurting the moment he parked the car he lent from Remus and was a little annoyed at himself for wasting so much gum.

He was sitting in the Starbucks at the arrival point when his phone pinged with a message.

_“Landed - see you soon.”_

A spike of nerves shot down Harry’s body. This is it. He grabbed his coffee, gulped the last few swallows down, and started walking to the baggage collect.

He felt his stomach flutter and he kept looking around. He didn’t see Louis immediately, and he didn’t recognize him at first. He saw a little figure move around backpack hanging low on his bag, headphones on and shuffling around in black vans. He was looking around, not sure where he should go when his eyes crossed Harry’s and his entire face lit up. And that’s when it hit Harry. That’s Louis and he was now walking towards him. He looked exactly like the picture but at the same time it was something else entirely. He was rugged and had this good looking little beard going on that Harry hadn’t really seen in any of his recent pictures. But time for thinking and looking at Louis was over when he threw his arms around Harry and hugged him tight.

“Hi,” He heard in his ear.

Louis felt so small. If he leaned back, Louis would’ve been forced to stand on his tiptoes. He let go to say hi back.

“Hello,” He said, “How was the flight?”

“Okay, there were some rough patches but we all survived,” Louis joked. “Now I still need to find my baggage, want to help look for it?”

“Okay, Lou.” Harry said but never really left his side unconsciously opting to hover behind him. “What kind of colour or size are we looking for?”

“Black with my name written on in white large letters.” Louis told him “Mum made me do it but I kind of understand. Ah, I can already see it.” Louis pointed at a large black suitcase coming their way with ‘ _Louis’_ written on it in bold letters.

“Well, it does what it’s supposed to do,” Harry said, laughing at the big letters.

Louis grabbed the big suitcase and looked at Harry smiling.

_He’s so beautiful_ , Harry thought.

“Let’s go then.” Harry said and took Louis his suitcase out of his hands. “So I set up the extra room for you, so you’ll have a space for your clothes and such.”

“That’s fantastic. I would have been happy with the couch if I’m honest.” Louis said following Harry.

“Come on Lou, I know you like to sleep in.”

Louis laughed “Okay you’re right, I do like to sleep in, but I would’ve woken up with you.”

“You are too nice.” Harry said walking out into the underground parking. Harry had been lucky finding a place close to the entrance so it didn’t take them long to get to the car.

“You didn’t tell me you owned a car.” Louis said looking at the 50’s American Cadillac that was bright blue. “It’s really bright.”

“I don’t. Its Remus’s car. He lent it to me so I could come and pick you up.”

“That’s so sweet Harry.”

“I’m nothing if not sweet.” He said and got Louis’s suitcase in the trunk. “So I was wondering, since you never ever had Taco Bell, if you would like to go there today?” He asked Louis. He hadn’t really managed to get something ready to eat, being too nervous about Louis coming to visit.

“I’d love to. You always talk about it. I’m getting curious what’s so good about a taco.”

*

“Oh my god.” Louis moaned taking a bite of the Nacho Cheese Dorito - Locos Tacos. “This is so good.” He said, food spraying over the table.

Harry laughed out loud at Louis’s bad table manners.

“Oops,” Louis said swallowing “That was so gross.”

“It’s fine, Lou.” Harry said, taking a bit of his own delicious taco.

“It kind of isn’t, you know. I’m here with a boy I’ve never seen and I kind of want to make a great impression and I’m not doing a very good job of it.”

“You’re doing a great job.” Harry said, his foot rising under the table touching Louis in a quick reassuring way.

He smiled at Harry and dropped his eyes back to his food “Tell me about the show.”

“It was fantastic, the moment we were waiting to go on I almost threw up. Thankfully I didn’t. Remus was like a little puppy, too enthusiastic and jumping around. John was just as calm as he always is. I didn’t know how he was doing it. It got me and Remus even more worked up to see him so calm.”

Harry laughed, the memory playing in front of his eyes.

“When we started playing, I could feel the energy of the crowd. It was amazing. Next time you’ll come with me.” Harry concluded. “I want you to see it.”

“Just tell me when.” Louis said “Well if it’s within these two weeks, I’m here.”

“We’ve got a gig next week at a bar. You could come watch me then if you want to.”

Louis started answering but a big yawn interrupted him.

“You must be tired. It’s almost 3 in the morning in the UK. Do you want to go home?” Harry asked.

Louis nodded “Yeah, I’m getting really tired. But you told me to wait a little longer to let my body clock adjust.”

“I know, but maybe it’s better to not do much anymore, don’t want you falling asleep in a Taco Bell.”

“I’m not going to fall asleep, Haz. I’m just a little tired.”

“Okay what do you want to do?”

“Can we see the beach? I really want to see it. The LA beach.” Louis said “Not to swim, we can save that for another day, but I really want to see it.”

“The beach it is then.” Harry said and stood up, Louis following him back to the car.

It didn’t take them very long to get to the beach. When harry had parked the car Louis almost jumped out. The only thing containing his excitement was him being tired.

“Harry, that’s the beach.” He told harry, voice a little high pitched.

“It is. Have you never seen a beach before?” Harry asked, humour lacing his words.

“Of course I have. I just get excited when I see the ocean and the sand. It’s like the universal sign of relaxation. Can we come and be tourists for a day?”

“Sure we can, Louis. You have to, you are a tourist.” Harry said and watched Louis take off his shoes. “What are you doing?”

“Getting rid of these things.” He mumbled, holding up his shoes “They’re so confining. And I want to walk on the beach for a bit. Come with me?”

“Okay.” He sat down on the cement blocks that were meant to be benches. He bent down to unzip his old battered boots. He really needed new ones. There were starting to get holes in the bottoms.

They held on to their footwear while waking in the sand and Louis talked about his future.

“I want a job.” He said “And it might be weird that I don’t want to travel the world like every other person my age, but I want security and a place to settle.”

Harry wanted that too, but he hadn’t really admitted that to himself yet, he thought that he needed to live his life to the fullest. There was so much he could still do.

“I want to have a family and someone to go home to. Someone that would be better than traveling the world.” Louis said, the words strong, even though his entire presence said tired. “And I can’t believe I just said all that. I’m sleep happy.”

“No, it’s sweet.” Harry said “But it might be getting a little much for your sleep muddled brain.”

Louis smiled “Yes, you’re right.” He sat down and patted the sand next to him, grinning up at Harry. “Sit with me?”

Harry sat down next to Louis legs, stretched out and feet crossed, his arms stretched out behind him, leaning back. Louis turned his back to Harry and lay down his head on Harry’s leg, closing his eyes.

Harry looked down at the boy resting on his leg. He was happy he finally had him within hand reach. He wanted to kiss him. Kiss him slow and deep. Just like he wanted that time they had facetimed for 5 hours. He had looked little and puffy eyed, sleep clear in his eyes, but he refused to go to sleep. Giggling into the late hours of the night. He had been so annoyed that he couldn’t hug Louis then. Or touch him. Or kiss him.

He had told Louis he wanted to be with him, that he wished they weren’t talking through a screen.

Louis his eyes had opened and met Harry holding for a moment.

“I’m happy you’re here.” Harry admitted silently. Louis his eyes were glowing in the last strands of sunlight leaving. The sky now extremely blue only adding more beauty to Louis.

“Me too.”

They ended up staying until Louis couldn’t keep his eyes open anymore and Harry had to wake him.

“Time to go home Lou.”

“Okay.” He mumbled and rolled of his lap, getting up. Louis didn’t even bother getting his shoes on. He curled up in the car seat and leaned his head against the window.

It took about 20 minutes to get to Harry’s apartment. Harry helped him get his suitcase in his room and wished Louis good night. He probably just crawled into his bed and fell asleep, which wasn’t much different than what Harry did.

He crawled into his bed and promptly fell asleep.

*

Louis slept in. It was 10:59 when he emerged from his room. Harry had been awake since 9:30 and had breakfast before thinking that Louis would sleep in.

Harry had woken up and made himself a cup of tea, had an egg for breakfast and had a look on his phone for anything he might have missed.

_“How was your first day with your Lou?”_

Remus wanted to know. He had been watching Harry fall for the boy every single day a little more than the other. He saw harry lit up whenever Louis called or texted and so naturally he wanted to know how everything went.

_“It was amazing.”_

_“Please tell me more.”_

_“We went to the beach. And Louis was being cute, he was tired but didn’t want to go to sleep soon to prevent jetlag.”_

_“So he’s still asleep?”_

_“Yeah he is.”_

There was a little pause in the conversation as if Remus wanted to say something when the next message arrived.

_“Bring him out tonight. We all want to meet him.”_

Harry smiled at his phone. He loved his friends. They were just as invested in this as he was.

_“Okay, I’ll bring him.”_

“Good morning.” Harry heard coming from the only other person in the apartment.

“Morning Lou, did you sleep well?”

“Like a baby.” Louis said, but his mind on an entirely different matter. “So what are we going to be doing today?”

“Well, we could go out tonight since I promised my friends to go and let them meet you. They are really curious who I call all the time.”

“It’s a date.” Louis said, sending a tingle down Harry’s spine.

“It’s a date.” Harry repeated.

*

When they arrived at their usual bar-ish club, Harry got a little nervous. He didn’t want Louis to be intimidated by his friends. But his worries were for nothing. Louis fit right in. Being sassy and funny all while they were having drinks.

Louis and Remus hit it off right away. Both being witty and joking around.

“So you know, we all once went to the ocean wanting to surf like the bloody tourists we are.” Remus was telling Louis “And we heard it was a great day to go, so we went. Harry, all confident he was the best, got up and fell down every single time. He wasn’t able to catch one wave and even my baby could do it.” He said, his arm around his Margot.

“Babe, don’t laugh at Harry, it’s not his fault he’s got the build of a giraffe and the elegance of an elephant.”

The entire table burst out laughing. Harry looking a little dead panned.

“Thanks Margot. That was exactly what I needed after that lovely story.” Harry said but smiled at her.

“Sorry.” She said, smiling at him.

The liquor had flowed steadily in the bar and most patrons were a little tipsy and, like usual fashion, some got up and started to dance to the music that was being played. Louis had been looking at them for a while now when Harry finally gathered the courage to say “Let’s go dancing.”

Louis nodded and Harry grabbed his hand to drag him over to the dancefloor. At first they were just having fun and silly dancing with each other. Laughing and giggling with the alcohol tingling in their veins.

When Louis got an unexpected push from behind, he stumbled forward into Harry’s arms. Harry automatically went to Louis’s hips, the only place where he could grab him. Louis’s arms went against Harry’s chest, leaving their noses touching and them breathing into each other’s mouths.

Oh, this was something entirely different and Harry liked it.

A brave hand wandered to Louis’s lower back, putting just a little more pressure on him.

Louis’s reaction felt like slow motion. He gasped silently, his fingers curling into Harry’s shirt and holding onto it.

And then, just like that, Louis started smiling and let his head hang low and lean on Harry’s chest, letting go of Harry’s shirt and going around his waist.

“Let’s get some more drinks.” Louis said and let his hand slip into Harry’s, their fingers intertwining, a butterfly war raging in their bellies.

Louis had another beer and Harry had some pink drink that smelled like strawberries and watermelon. They talked with John and his friends for a while. He was really interested in the difference in school systems in the UK versus the USA.

Louis was talking about the uni options he still had. And while Louis was talking, he kept holding Harry’s hand, playing with his fingers absently.

*

They walked back home. Louis holding onto Harry’s hand, both of them giggling and talking about the stars that were visible.

“If you look right above us, you can see a star constellation. I used to know the name but I forgot to be honest.”

“Where.” Louis asked.

“Right above us. It looks kind of like a kite.”

“Oh yes. I see it now. You know I saw it before and never knew it was actually a constellation.”

“It is.” Harry said “I’ll tell you the name one day.”

When they got home, Louis slipped inside and Harry followed him in. When harry closed the door, Louis pushed Harry against the door and pressed his lips against Harry’s.

Chills ran over Harry’s body while the butterfly war ragged on inside, expanding. This is what he had wanted for since the first day he talked to Louis and it was happening.

Louis’s hands were on his cheeks and Harry’s hands were now finding their way to Louis’s waist, pulling him a little closer.

It ended with Louis slowly pulling away and blinking up to Harry.

“I wanted to do that when I saw you at the airport.” Louis admitted.

“Me too.” Harry said “I’ve wanted to do that for almost a year now.”

They looked at each other and started laughing. And when that quieted down, Harry leaned down and kissed Louis again.

This was all both of them ever wanted. Even with the little detail of them living half a world apart, but for now, Louis and Harry are happy were they are.

Kissing and in each other’s arms.


End file.
